


And We Are For The Dark

by anderswasright



Category: Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Angst, Deathfic, Friendship, M/M, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-14
Updated: 2012-06-14
Packaged: 2017-11-07 17:03:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/433424
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anderswasright/pseuds/anderswasright
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>End of Time alternate scene. The Doctor manages to catch the Master before he gets sucked into the Time War. Even sadder this way.</p>
            </blockquote>





	And We Are For The Dark

_No, I won't let it happen again. Either I save you or we go back to hell together._

With that, the Doctor leapt and grabbed the Master by his hoodie, pulling him back. A storm raged around them and they were at the edge, but he wrapped his arms around  the thin body and didn't let go. The Master was still shooting energy and Rassilon was screaming. Then everything exploded in white and suddenly, it was over.

They lay on the floor and the Time Lords vanished, the shadow of Gallifrey vanished. Earth was safe again.

The Doctor almost cried in relief.

"I- I'm alive! We are alive, Koshei!" He helped him up and embraced him. The Master looked dazed and scared. Yes, scared, the way he sometimes looked at the Doctor before, in those moments when he wanted to ask for help, when he wanted to reach out to his old friend, before his madness took over again.

"Doctor... I..."

"It will be alright now. Travel with me, please. Not as a prisoner. As a friend. You are not a lost cause, you just proved that. Please. Come with me. I owe you my life, I would do anything to help-"

"Doctor, stop. Stop deceiving yourself" the Master whispered. The Doctor finally noticed how pale he was and how he struggled to even stand. "I'm..."

The Doctor caught him gently in his arms as he fell and, kneeling on the cold floor among the glass shards, he held him close.

"Don't. Don't you dare. You're not leaving me alone again."

"I used up all my life force to kill that bastard." The Master smiled. "Totally worth it. Have you seen his  _face_?"

"No, there must be a way to save you! Try to regenerate."

"I can't. I tried it as soon as I came back and realized I was dying. It didn't work."

The Doctor was crying in his helpless fury. 

"I won't let you die. Not this time. I can take you to the TARDIS. I will think up something, anything."

"Doctor."

"What?" He looked at his friend, caressing his face.

"It's gone." There was some strange light in the hazel eyes, a light the Doctor hasn't seen since their academy years. Happiness. Not over some evil deed, but simple, real happiness.

"Koshei..."

"The drums. I don't hear them. It's so strange, Theta. Silence. There is nothing but silence."

"Koshei, please. You could have a new life now. Free of the madness. You could be what you were always meant to be. A benevolent, wise Time Lord."

The Master nestled closer to him and rested his head on the Doctor's shoulder.

"It's too late."

"You cannot die! Not now, not after all this! You came back so many times! Fight! Stay with me. Please."

The Master looked up in agony. "I'm so tired."

"Don't" the Doctor held him tightly as if he could keep him alive with that. "What would I be without you, Master?" he sobbed. "I can't take it anymore. It's too much, it's just too much. Why won't my hearts stop?"

"The universe needs you, Doctor. You know that."

"And  _I_  need  _you_."

The Master lifted his head and kissed him. It was long and desperate and the Doctor was afraid to end it, but he ran out of breath and had to break apart after a while.

Koshei smiled at him weakly and closed his eyes. He looked so peaceful. The Doctor wanted to scream, to shake him, but something broke in him and the anger was gone, only the crippling pain remained. 

And then he heard four knocks.

 


End file.
